Foley’s Retirement

Was Mick Foley planning on retiring in early 2000, or was that always just going to be an angle? He waited a good two years before getting back in the ring, but it seemed like he really was hanging it up in 2000. After becoming champ in '98/'99, did he decide he better hang it up or was it just an angle to get HHH over?

I have only read Mick's first book, so apologies if this stuff was all answered in one of these others.